Red Brick Pizza Complaint - Here's a new place to avoid

CULVER CITY, CALIFORNIA -- On Monday, 13 October 2003 I went to the local Red Brick Pizza (Culver City, CA) at approximately 6:45 pm to place a to go order for a Pizza.

After waiting about 10 minutes to decide and order, I placed an order for a large sausage pizza, well done, light sauce. The clerk (#1) took the order and I paid. I walked over to the area where the pizzas are made so that I could observe the construction of my pizza. I also saw that there was a large pizza shell, with tomato sauce sitting out while a Hispanic employee did some preparation and cleaning work around the area. After about 5 minutes a young man, about 6 feet tall, with a mustache, walked over and began to prepare my order, using the pizza shell with sauce that had been sitting out since I initially walked up to the counter to decide on my purchase. I asked him to provide a fresh shell for my pizza, that the one on the counter had been sitting out for a while and I preferred fresh. He said that it was fresh, and I countered that it was not fresh, that I had seen it sitting out since I walked into the store. He insisted that it was fresh and I told him that it was not fresh enough to serve to my mother. He again insisted that it was fresh. I said that if he was not going to make a fresh pizza, I would go elsewhere.

I went to the cashier's counter to get my money back. The cashier was having a conversation with the previously mentioned employee and when she was through, she came to the register. I gave her my receipt and asked for the return of my payment as well as her name and the name of the other employee. I also asked her for the manager and I was told that he would be in, in a few minutes, maybe five or ten.

She returned my payment and I again asked for her name, that of the other employee and the corporate phone number. She pointed to her blouse where her name tag was. She said that she didn't have a phone number. I asked her for the other employees name and she refused to give it to me.

The other employee walked over to the cashier and I looked at his shirt for a name tag but he didn't have one on. I asked him for his name and he said "I don't have on". I again asked for his name and he said "I don't have a name." Another employee, a delivery man, walked over and gave me a pen and a piece of paper and told me that the employees name was "#2(removed by me)".

This seemed to annoy the employee "#2(removed by me)" and he asked me if I wanted to go outside to talk about this. He did this in a threatening manner and I responded, "You want to go outside so you can hit me?"

The Manager showed up and introduced himself as the Owner, not the Manager. I asked to talk with him and again "#2(removed by me)" interfered without conversation with the same challenge. I correctly assumed from the way that the Owner was talking with "#2(removed by me)" that they were related.

I told the Owner the problem. He asked what I wanted. I told him that an apology would be the proper thing to do. He refused and I told him that I would contact Red Brick Pizza directly and post the information about my experience on the internet in Culver City, CA.

He did not seem to care.

On my way out, I saw a Culver City Police Officer and related "#2(removed by me)" threats.

If this is the way your restaurants are run, I would rather buy from Domino's or Papa John where I purchased a Pizza after that experience.

You almost got into a brawl over some pizza dough? Two words: anger management. (Granted, if what you say is true, the employees were at fault, too, for their reactions but get a grip. If you hadn't been privy to the pizza-making process, you would have been none the wiser. And I doubt any worse off.)

Posted by Anonymous on 2004-01-15:

Let the workers do their job and don't insult them...you are asking for a booger on your pizza for being stupid.

Posted by M. on 2004-08-28:

I work at a RBP locale and while they may have been a little rude...the guy behind the counter was right.

The dough [sheetout or shell as you called it]on the counter was still fresh. It has a shelf like of over 45 minutes, you walking in for 5 minutes doesn't make it not fresh.